Today, I was lucky enough to have been invited to the Sainsbury’s Christmas Press Event in Covent Garden, London.

I was SUPER excited about not only getting to experience Christmas in July (on one of the hottest days of the year I’d like to point out…) but to also get a sneak peek at the amazing new products lined up to tantalise our tastebuds over the festive season.

Upon arriving, there were holly wreaths leading down the stairs and a tree with presents underneath to really set the scene. Forget the blazing hot sun outside, I was in an cool winter wonderland with the air full of Christmas songs and the smell of warming winter food.

I instantly headed for the baking section and I was not disappointed. To add to their ever expanding baking range of now icings (blog post about these bad boys coming soon!), condensed range of mixes, infused sugars and decorating equipment, I was very pleased to see new things coming out this year too. I got a sneak peek of some Christmas fruit packages that can easily be put into your tried and tested fruit cake recipe, chopped stem ginger, full strips of candied orange and lemon peel which would look perfect adorning a little fruit cake just on their own! Also their sprinkles which now come in an adorable little pinch pot and are a super fast and easy way to decorate cupcakes, especially if you’ve got little helpers with little hands! There were some amazing looking morello cherry ingredients too which I’m very much looking forward to trying and also mixes of fruits and nuts that are made especially to transform a plain cupcake or cookie recipe into something a little more special but without the extra effort and the cost of buying bigger packets. Trust me on this one, if baking is your thing, get down and try Sainsbury’s own brand of cake and bake goodies.

In the main hall, everything was set out like a Dickensian market place, and after visiting each stall for a period of time, it became very clear very quickly, that Sainsbury’s are so very passionate about giving their customers the best at not only the special time of year but all year round. The enthusiasm shown by these product developers really struck a chord with me. I was impressed by not only their knowledge of the products but their happiness when we enjoyed them.

We tried a large range of sweet products from cupcakes, frosting, ice cream and tarts, to more savoury and traditional morsels like chutneys, turkey, gammon, pies, salmon and cheese.

Even though my heart lies with baking, I have such a passion for food. Good food. And I do have to admit, Sainsbury’s have nailed Christmas. Their two ranges they were showcasing were the ‘By Sainsbury’s’ and the ‘Taste the Difference’ and both were superb.

The meats melted in your mouth, the Taste the Difference Norfolk black turkey terrine with pork, chestnut and maple stuffing wrapped in dry cured, oak smoked streaky bacon is going to be on my Christmas table, the salmon terrine with a red onion and cranberry relish crumbled in the right places and left no greasy aftertaste, the pies had the perfect crust and the cheese, well, let’s just say as a cheese fiend and after trying each one and learning about their maturing times, I still have yet to find a cheese I don’t like.

The homeware range was also on show from furnishings to decor and accessories making me want to start redecorating right now. And giving me a lot of inspiration to do so. The clothing, toys and presents department were fabulous and I’m already thinking about this years Christmas jumper! (Seriously, everyone needs a Christmas jumper…)

All in all, very impressed. And, even though it’s only July and we are in the middle of a heatwave, it’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas. But it’s ok, Christmas 2013 is sorted – thanks to Sainsbury’s.

I can now reveal something I will be involved in later this year that I am very excited about. Miss Cakehead is a fabulous lady who is a freelance creative director. This year, Miss Cakehead’s charity project is The Depressed Cake Shop; ‘A unique pop up cake shop where every single cake on sale will be grey, colour only revealed on the inside.’

I really like giant cupcakes. I love cupcakes in general so making it 24 times bigger is a plus in my opinion. But I get a lot of people asking the best way to finish off the base. Now there are many different options. You can buttercream it, similarly to the top. You can ice it with sugarpaste or you can leave it on it’s own in all it’s glory. But my favourite option has to be making a candy or chocolate shell to sit the base into. I think it’s very clean and neat, gives it a fab finish and it super easy to do!

You will need the base of your giant cupcake baking kit. I use the silicone one as it is much easier to get the base out than if you use a metal tin. And you will need some candy melts or Belgian chocolate. I have found that if you use standard chocolate bars, it may crack when you are trying to get it out and it also sometimes melt when you are handling it. I also advise painting the inside of your mould or tin with a little cake release first before pouring in the chocolate to make it easier to come out.

Melt your candy melts/belgian chocolate.

Pour half of this into your giant cupcake base.

With a silicon brush, paint the candy/belgian chocolate up the sides of the case, being quite quick but firm.

It should look like this! Then pop it in the fridge to set for twenty minutes or so then take it out and give it a second coat repeating the first few steps. You may need to remelt your candy/chocolate. Then put back in the fridge for a further twenty minutes.

Gently peel the top of the case away from the shell to check it has set. Then go around the shell only releasing the top like this.

Then pull the sides of the base down away from the shell like so.

And there you should have your giant cupcake base shell!

You will need to trim the cake that was baked in this shell as we have now make the base a little thicker. So trim, split and fill then place the cake inside the shell gently. Once it’s in, decorate as desired!

You can also repeat the process for the top to create an edible shell to fill with delicious treats like I’ve done here for Halloween –

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

This blog post is about Sattina sugarpaste. I had never used this before but when the fab people at Cake Craft World recommended it, I had to give it a go. AND it just so happened to be a friends birthday this week so what a perfect opportunity to use it to it’s full potential.

I’m using the Sattina sugarpaste in blush pink and in the tub, it looks a little something like this;

The packaging is fab. When I opened it, the small of vanilla was there, but subtle and not overpowering. I also tried a little bit and it’s gorgeous!!

It was really easy to knead and roll out and was smooth and crack free!

Here’s a peek at what the cake looked like underneath;

And the finished product;

If you want to give Sattina Sugarpaste a go, you can get it from Cake Craft World and it comes in lots of different colours!

I’ve never really played around with chocolate moulds that much but that all changed when I saw the fantastic Baked By Me website!

They have got some AMAZING moulds for chocolate. I fell in love with the Russian Dolls, Kittens and buttons. When they arrived I couldn’t wait to try them out. So I thought I’d show you the results!

Look how adorable these moulds are! I used white chocolate, poured it in and then let them set for about an hour. The chocolate just peeled straight off, they were super easy to use! Once they were out, they looked fab as they were, but it’s a Sunday and I had some spare time, so I decided to paint them with edible paints. Here’s what I ended up with;

I’m aware the buttons are missing! They got eaten before I could photograph them! Haha!

Anyway, if you’ve never had a go with the chocolate moulds, get yourself over to Baked By Me and check them out.

I have been chosen by Sainsbury’s to be one of their official food bloggers!!! I am SO excited!!!!

I am now listed on their media pages and they have given me this review;

‘She who Bakes, aka blogger Britt, certainly knows how to keep her kitchen sugary sweet. Challenge yourself to keep up with her step-by-step guide to creating ‘gooey nutty marshmallow chocolate fudge’, testing your taste buds as well as your talents. There are simpler ideas too; her meringue kisses are a simpler way to satisfy your sweet tooth.’

Ever since The Great British Bake Off, baking has once again become cool. No longer is it reserved for grans on a Sunday morning nor is it limited to rice krispie cakes. It is no longer just a ‘specialist’ area. If my Facebook and Twitter are anything to go by, nearly everyone I know is baking and it’s fantastic! It’s amazing to see how widely spread it has become and the supermarkets and chain stores are of course, noticing.

On my trip to Sainsbury’s today, I spotted several new products in the ‘home baking’ section. (Even if I don’t need anything, I still find myself wandering that way subconsciously… Well played Sainsbury’s.) There are now things on sale, shall we say, generally, that not so long ago you would have only been able to find in specialist cake baking and decorating shops. So imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this little beauty;

As sad as I am, I grabbed it instantly. As far as I’m aware (and please, correct me if I’m wrong) I’ve never seen flower paste or modelling paste sold commercially in a supermarket before, so I was very excited. And at £2.50 for 250g it was fantastic value.

Once I got it home, the fun began. The packet says it’s ‘perfect for modelling cake decorations’ so I thought I would put it to the test.

The packaging is lovely. It’s pink, pretty and polkadot. Three things I love. AND it’s got little cartoon cupcakes on it! Irresistible. The cupcakes on the front are a great touch too, showing the little white roses that can be made with this stuff. They have also provided a guide on the side of how to make basic roses;

So the packaging is a yes from me. Now, how about the product. Upon opening, the paste has no obvious scent and I found it really easy to knead but still tough enough to tell that it is a strong paste. I did several things with the paste including rolling it thinly, used both veined and plunger cutters, made the roses in their suggested way and also used silicon moulds with it too. It passed every test I threw at it! Also it coloured really easily and streak free with the sugarflair paste colours that I swear by. And once dried, I painted on it well without any bleeding or disfigurement.

So 10 minutes later, here’s what I ended up with!

So, what’s the verdict? The sort of customer I feel this is aimed at, the home baker, will LOVE this product. To the mum or dad who want to make a teddy to go on their child’s christening cake, the teenager that wants to practice their love of decorating or just to experiment on, I have to say, I’m very impressed. Great value, great packaging, great product. Well done Sainsbury’s.